Break in Time
by carlgluftgmail.com
Summary: The Eighth Doctor takes Charley and his new companion, Sally, to visit San Fransisco in the year 2000. Unfortunately, they arrive a little early, and time behind to unravel.
1. Chapter 1

Break in Time

By Gerard Luft

Chapter One

Sally Maitland entered the TARDIS and was stunned by the massive chamber within. To her left stretched a long bookcase, and to her right numerous Roman arches in a semicircle led deeper into the ship. In the middle of the column filled chamber a tall glass column rose from the center of a six sided, wooden console up to the domed ceiling several storeys above. The column was supported by an array of six iron girders.

"It's bigger on the inside!" Cried Sally.

"And can go anywhere in time and space," said the Doctor as he entered the ship. He wore an Edwardian frock coat and waistcoat with a silvery ascot. How handsome, long, oval face was framed with long auburn locks.

Behind him, a pretty girl with blonde hair and an Edwardian safari outfit silently followed him in and plopped down in an armchair near the bookcase.

"This is impossible!" Cried Sally as she ran her fingers through her blue hair, a look of utter wonder on her baby face. "But this primitive machinery couldn't move antigrav lorry down a street, let alone travel through time and space.

"Primitive!" cried the Doctor. "This is a Type 40 TARDIS capable of traveling to any planet, at any point in that planet's existence. Let me demonstrate. Where would you like to go?"

"Alright then!" Said Sally as she closely watched the Doctor pull levers and soon dials on the console. "I want to see Earth in the year 2000."

"2000 Humanity Era it is," declared the Doctor as he threw a switch and glowing glass rid in the glass column's interior began to rise and fall to the sounds of a deep wheezing and groaning. "How does the year 2000 sound to you, Charley?"

"Fine," said Charlie as she sulked in the Doctor's chair.

A wheezing and groaning sound filled the night air in a park overlooking an enormous bridge spanning a bay. A blue Police Box slowly materialized upon the grass."

The Doctor, Sally and Charley exited the box and looked around.

"That's the Golden Gate Bridge, isn't it?" Asked Sally practically hopping up and down. "But what's all this, then?"

"Golden Gate park, I suspect," said the Doctor, absolutely thrilled at Sally's excitement

"A park in San Francisco? We really have travelled back in time! We crossed light years of space and centuries of time in only a few minutes. Who are you, Doctor?"

"That's for me to know, and you not to find out. Come on! We have a whole city to explore."

"Where are we going first?"

"To the Hospital."

"Hospital?"

"Yes, I have an old friend, Grace, I'd like to look up. I have a kiss to return to her."

"Ooo, a kiss! You're quite a player, aren't you?"

"Yes, but mostly chess. Come on, Charley!"

"Great!" Muttered Charley. "Another woman to join us."

Charley fell behind in her despondency. Before she knew it, she was out of sight of the Doctor. "Doctor! Where are you? Forget something, like me, perhaps?

Two men in black came off of some nearby bushes startling Charley to no end. She saw the flash of a badge on each of their chests and relaxed a little. "Is it the custom of San Francisco constables to jump out of bushes?"

"Is it the custom of young ladies to be prowling about in the park after dark?" Asked one officer shining his light upon her.

"Is that illegal?" Asked Charley.

"Actually it is," said the other officer. "You'll need to come with us."

The first officer took her tightly by the wrist while the other pulled out his handcuffs.

"Let me go!" Demanded Charley. "You're hurting me! Doctor!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The Doctor and Sally were walking down the streets of San Francisco, chatting and talking in the city. They were so lost in their conversation and explorations, they forgot all about Charley.

"I've been meaning to visit Grave for ages now," said the Doctor. "But it kept slipping my mind."

"Shame on you for forgetting your girlfriend," laughed Sally.

"Girlfriend?" Asked the Doctor. "I never thought of her like that."

"You said you kissed her!"

"We'll, I suppose I did."

"And you just forgot her?"

"I never said that. I just forgot to look her up again."

"I hope the Doctor doesn't forget us, Charley! Charley?"

"Where's Charley?" Asked the Doctor. "I thought she was right behind us. Charley! Oh, where have you gotten off to?"

"Could she have gone into one of the buildings we passed?"

"All the shops we passed were closed. Wait! The Church back a block. That may still be unlocked. Most Catholic churches, even in this era, keep the churches open at night for the faithful to visit for adoration. Let's go back and take a look."

The came upon an church with a sign saying, "Star of the Sea" below a beautiful rosette window. The Doctor tried the from doors which opened. As they entered the nave, Sally cried out, "Charley!"

"Quiet, Sally," said the Doctor. "It's not polite to shout in a church.

"Your rather religious for a scientist."

"I respect people's beliefs. While bad things have been done on Earth in the name of religion, for the most part religion has propelled humanity's moral character throughout the ages. It deserves respect."

"How are we going to find her, Doctor?" asked Sally.

"A little echolocation might help," said the Doctor as he drew a silvery want from his pocket.

'Your Sonic Screwdriver?"

"Yes. A friend of mine taught me all about echolocation some time back."

"was he also a scientist?"

"No. He was a dolphin. That's odd. I'm getting a reading back that probably is human, but it's several yards that way, and at least ten feet down. That's beneath the cloisters we passed. Ah! Behind the altar here. I think it's a secret passage."

Sally carefully pulled back the ornate rug behind the altar, and revealed a panel. The Doctor pocketed his screwdriver and pried the panel up. "It is a secret passage, Sally. Shall we?"

"You first, Doctor."

The Doctor jumped down the hole, and Sally followed. They were in a dark tunnel. The Doctor pulled a pentorch from his pocket and led them down the passage. There corridor ended in a vault. Several pieces of electronic devices were arrested around a glass, egg shaped object in the middle of the room.

The Doctor examined the object, as Sally looked about the equipment.

"These are EM detectors and Geiger counters," said Sally as she joined the Doctor at the egg. "What is it?"

"It's a stasis pod, Sally," explained the Doctor.

"Is that like a cryogenic chamber?'

"Not quite. It has the same principle, but instead of using cold to preserve it's occupant, it literally slows down time. You see that figure in there? He's probably injured and is in need of healing."

"What's that symbol? Asked Sally, indicating what looked like a stylized eight.

"Trouble," the Doctor. "That's the Seal of Rassilon. That's a Time Lord in there."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"There's a Time Lord in there," said the Doctor.

"Is that bad?" Asked Sally.

"It could be. This stasis pod is definitely Gallifreyan, but it's not a standard model. In fact, it's a great advancement from the standard model, and there's battle scarring on it. That's unusual. My people aren't much into combat. Not anymore. Nor are they into technological improvements. This could be from my relative future, which would definitely mean trouble."

"You're a Time Lord?"

"Yes. Heard of us?"

"No."

"That's probably a good thing, Sally."

The Doctor stood up, and nearly fell back down. Everything around the time travellers seem to triple like a wave. Then it was fine as suddenly as it started.

"What was that?" Asked Sally.

"Ripples in time!" Cried the Doctor, grabbing his stomach like he was in pain. "This is bad. Very, very bad. Quickly, back to the Church."

Standing outside in the night air, the Doctor gasped for air like a marathon runner who just completed his run.

"Doctor," asked Sally, "are you alright?"

"No," replied the Doctor. "Look at the clock!"

A nearby by building with a clock on it showed the hour to be eight.

"It's eight o'clock. But, Doctor, it was nearly midnight when we entered in. If we were in there eight hours, it should be light out."

"It's not eight in the morning, Sally. It's Eight at night, the next evening. Twenty hours passed over us. Time's in flux. I fear we may be in the midst of a paradox, and I'm certain that stasis pod is directly related to it.

"Come on! We have to find Charley. Let's head this way."

Charley woke from her shallow slumber. She was in a cell at the local police station. She jumped to her feet from the bunk, and was so dizzy she feels back onto it.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said to herself. Then looking at the filthy toilet in one corner of the little cell, she added, "but I don't want to get anywhere near that. Is this what the future holds? Filthy commodes?"

"Hey, you!" Shouted a police officer at the cell door. "What are you doing here?"

"This is where you put me," said Charley. "Remember, you arrested me."

"I've never seen you in my life," said the Officer. "Sarge says he's got no record on anyone in this cell. I don't know who you are, but we don't have room for you. We've got real criminals we need to put in this cell. Come on."

"I should demand to see your superior and complain of this unlawful detention, but I just want to get out of here and find the Doctor."

"The free clinic's down the block. We don't have any property to give to you. Like I said, there's no record of your arrest."

"It's alright. An Edwardian adventuress must often travel light."

Charley was astonished to see it was still dark out when she left the station. "I guess I didn't sleep that long. Or maybe I slept longer than I thought."

Charley had caught a glimpse of a clock atop of a building some distance off. "I'm completely lost. I suppose if I need to find a Time Lord, I should head in the direction of a clock.

"Looks like a party is going on," said the Doctor with a grin. He and Sally were outside of a large building. Through the spacious windows on the first floor, a massive group of men in tuxedos and ladies in evening dressed were assembled. A waitress came near the window they were standing at carrying a plate of _hors devours_. Hearing Sally's stomach rumble, he said, "How about little party crashing. You look like you could use a bit to eat. Besides what better place to find an Edwardian adventuress than a fancy party."

As they entered the party, a steward approached them, and said, "I'm sorry, but this party is by invitation only."

"I think you were expecting me," said the Doctor. "I'm Doctor Bowman."

"Just a second," said the steward, quite annoyed as he turned to another steward. "Do we have an invite for a Doctor Bowman?"

The steward, with a warm smile on his face and a look of recognition in his eyes, said, "I'm sorry, Doctor Bowman. John, Doctor Bowman is Doctor Holloway's plus one."

"Wait, wait, wait," said the Doctor. "Doctor Holloway? Doctor _Grace_ Holloway?"

"Yes, sir. Of course."

"No, no, no," said the Doctor in a panic.

"This is a New Year's party," said Sally between bites of prawn, pointing with a free hand at a large banner. "We arrived a bit late in the year, didn't we. What's a Beryllium clock."

"We didn't arrive too late," said the Doctor with a look of absolute horror on his face. "We're too early. It's not the pod that's causing this paradox. It's me!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Asked Sally, alarmed at the panic that gripped the Time Lord. "How could you have possibly caused this?"

"By being here," said a young, Asian woman in an evening gown. "You're the one who brought this about."

"Yes," said the Doctor, his hand to his mouth, desperately looking around. "We need to get out of here. Fast!"

The Doctor dragged Sally out the front doors by her hand. The young lady quickly followed after them.

"Who are you?" Demanded Sally. "Can't you see you're upsetting him?"

"It's alright, Sally," said the Doctor, turning to the woman. "You can sense the flux in Time?"

"Yes," said the lady. "I've been able to sense things of darkness all my life. My name's Becky Lee."

"I did bring this on. I'm already here. Sally, it's New Year, nineteen ninety-nine. I've crossed my own timeline. This point in history is very vulnerable. The Eye of Harmony, the power source of my time machine, was open and testing time and space apart. But I prevented that by putting the TARDIS into a temporal orbit.

"It must be the stasis pod! It fell into this alternate reality, perhaps due to temporal fallout from a time battle. That's a terrifying thought.

"But don't you see? The TARDIS fell into this rift. Being here is causing this reality to tear through into our reality. And reality is going to fall spinning into the open Eye of Harmony. That's the darkness you see, Becky. You're from Chinatown, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Becky. "How do you know?"

"A surprising question from a girl who didn't bat an eyelash when I mentioned my time machine. Chinatown is ground zero for this rift in time. That's when my TARDIS materialized the first time I was here."

"So the Earth is going to be pulled into this rift?"

"No, Becky. All of time and space is going to be pulled into a naked singularity. There are two TARDISes here now, and a Gallifreyan stasis pod from my future. All of Time and space is at stake. Oh, thank heavens!"

"Thank heavens the universe is ending?" Asked Sally.

"No!" Said the Doctor with a broad smile on his face. "It's Charley!"

"Where have you been?" Asked Charley, a bit cross. She quickly forgot her anger when the Doctor ran up to her and hugged her.

"Thank heavens we found you," said the Doctor. "I've been terribly worried."

"Actually, I found you, Doctor."

"Yes, yes you did."

"By the way, Charley," said Sally, "the universe is coming to an end."

"It happens all the time," said Charley. "The Doctor will fix it."

"Can you fix it?" Asked Sally.

"He's the only one who can," said Becky.

"Right you are, Becky!" Said the Doctor. "Ow, by the way, this is Becky. Becky, this is my best friend, Charley. Get down!"

The Doctor abruptly interrupted the introduction, as he pulled Charley away from the road, and urged the others to follow. From the otherside of the large building, a police motorcycle came speeding by.

"Doctor!" Cried Charley. "That was you! Why are there two of you? And who's the woman with you?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get that stasis pod in the church and get back to the TARDIS. We haven't much time."

A lorry came barrelling out of the nearby parking lot and pulled up next to them. Sally was begging the steering wheel, looking impish with a broad smile beneath her spikey, blue hair. "That pod looked heavy, Doctor. This might help."

"You stole this!" scolded the Doctor as he held Charley and Becky into the back of it.

"I'm an engineer," said Sally as she drove the Lorry off as soon as they were all in it. "This pitiful ignition setup is behind to be hotwired"

In no time they made it to the Church. All four hurried out and ran for the Church. The Doctor led the girls into the tunnel beneath the Church. As they entered the chamber with the pod, the Doctor and Sally began to inspect it, discussing how best to move it.

"What are you doing with that?" Said a man entering the chamber. He wore the black cassock of a priest, and had an assortment of electronic equipment in his arms. He dropped the equipment on a nearby table, and grabbed a very long screwdriver in his hand. "That's mine. Don't you dare touch it!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"You're a Jesuit, aren't you?" Asked the Doctor calmly, stepping forward, and signally the girls to stand behind them. "A priest and a scientist."

"Yes," said the priest. He had the look of a man who hasn't slept in weeks.

"I was a rather close friends, of Teilhard," said the Doctor, stepping a little closer. "Old Telly! What a fellow."

"You're to young to know Teilhard."

"I'm a lot older than I look, just like that chap in the pod there. It must have been quite a surprise to find him down here in your church."

"He fell through time," said the priest. "Can you imagine that?"

"Actually, I can," said the Doctor, only an arms reach from the priest. "We're two of the same kind, you see."

The priest jerked the screwdriver forward. "Stay back! You can't have him back. Here's the key, you see."

"The key to what?"

"Time. Don't you see. He, and that craft he's in, can travel through time. I studied theoretical physics in school. The readings I'm getting are incredible. And the way time keeps jumping around…"

"You've noticed that? Of course you did. Your right at the epicenter of all of this. But your a scientist. You must know that what's happening could tear all of time and space apart. I can stop it. But I need the pod, and the one inside of it."

"But with time travel, we could undo every wing ever committed. We could set history right."

"No, Father!" Said the Doctor, stepping closer again. "In trying to do good, you'd destroy all of casualty. All of time and space is at risk. Can you imagine the suffering that would come with such a misguided intention. You're a priest. You know evil and suffering can't just be magically undone. And as a priest, I know you wouldn't cause anyone, not even a daft, old time traveler like me, any harm."

The Doctor took the screwdriver from the priest, and pocketed it.

"No," said the priest with tears in his eyes. "I couldn't."

"You look tired," said the Doctor, "but could you manage to help us get this on the Lorry we've parked in front? We're almost out of time. We only have till midnight."

"Of course I can," said the priest.

Less than ten minutes later, the Lorry was tearing down the streets of San Francisco, leaving a weary, but relieve scientist behind.

"What's that noise?" Asked Sally at the wheel. "And those flashing lights?"

"It's the Police," said Becky from the back of the Lorry.

"Keep driving!" Said the Doctor. "It's almost midnight. We have much time. Come on, come on, come on!"

"Oi!" Cried Sally. "I never drive one of these antiques before. Give me some slack."

"We haven't time, Sally. In a matter of minutes, the whole of causality will be consumed. Now, drive!"

Sally floored it. They came up quickly on Golden Gate Park. Sally didn't slow down, but jumped the curb, driving onto the Park's lawn. The Lorry jostled about, and Charley feared it would tip over.

"There she is!" Cried the Doctor, pointing at the Police Box ahead. Sally abruptly stopped, nearly hitting the TARDIS. All four got off the the Lorry and ran to the TARDIS. The two Police cars pursuing then had also jumped the curb, and were nearly upon them.

The Doctor ushered the girls into the Police Box doors, and followed them, shutting the door's just as the Police officers were getting out of their vehicles.

The Doctor ran to the console, and pulled the lever that closed the doors. They could hear a hammering on the doors as the Police pounded away.

"They're going to break the doors down!" Cried Becky.

"The combined forced of Genghis Khan couldn't get through those doors, "said the Doctor, spinning dials, pulling levers, and hitting switches. "And trust me, they've tried."

"But Doctor'" said Charlie. "We left the pod in the Lorry."

"Not to worry," he said as he triumphantly pulled a lever. The console room filled with the wheezing and groaning sound of the TARDIS dematerializing. "Look!"

In the middle of the vast chamber the Lorry began to materialized, along with two police officers.

"That wasn't meant to happen," said the Doctor a bit shamefaced. He practically danced around the console, working the controls.

The officers cried, "Freeze!"

The girls instinctively raised their hands, but the Doctor continued working. The officers raised their pistols, pulled the trigger, and nothing happened. With a confused look on their faces, they began to fade away as the TARDIS took off again.

"Their guns didn't work," said Sally.

"The TARDIS is in a state of perpetual grace," explained the Doctor as he frantically worked the controls. "Give won't function in her, at least in theory. Fortunately, it was more than theory this time. Hang on to something. This could get a bit bumpy. I'm taking is into Temporal Orbit. Come on, old girl. You can do this one more time. Come on!"

The girls grabbed the steel girders about the console as the ship violently shook. It felt like she was going to fall apart at any moment. The antique television that hung down from the ceiling blinked "Temporal Orbit" several times until the TARDIS settled down again.

"Did it work?" Asked Charley.

"Let's take a look," said the Doctor, throwing a switch. The vast domed ceiling of the console room disappeared, and there appeared an image of the Earth floating serenely amidst the Stars.

"It worked," said Becky. "There darkness is gone."

"The rift is close, Becky," said the Doctor, once again working the TARDIS controls. "The rift is closed. You, and the Earth, have peace again. I suppose I should get you back home. You'll be a day late. I'm trying to steer clear of New Year's, 2000."

"That'll be fine. Thank you, Doctor."

"You know," said the Doctor, "you could come with us."

"Really?" Asked a frustrated Charley.

"No," said Becky. "There's too much darkness out there. I want to spend some time in the light for a while."

Moments later, the Doctor, Sally and Charley said goodbye to Becky. As the Doctor headed into the TARDIS, Sally motioned for Charley to wait.

"I'm not trying to move in on your relationship," said Sally.

"What do you mean?" Asked Charley.

"You and the Doctor. Charley, I've nothing back in the twenty-sixth century anymore. I just want to see the universe for now. I'm not trying to come between you and the Doctor."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I can tell your resentful of me being here, but you have nothing to worry about. Nothing is going to come between you two. Can't you tell how much he loves you?"

"Do you think he does?" Asked Charley. "I mean…"

"You'd have to be blind not to notice," said Sally opening the Police Box door. "Come on. Where to now, Doctor."

As soon as the doors closed behind them, the TARDIS was dematerializing.

"Unfortunately, we have to take care of this pod," said the Doctor. "We'll make our visit brief and then get somewhere more exciting."

"Where are we going, Doctor?" Asked Charley.

There Doctor did not respond, but on the TARDIS' monitor was the words Gallifrey 6797.3 Rassilon Era.'

The End.


End file.
